Top Chefs & Trends to Watch in 2014 (Part 6 of a 7 Part Series)

Philosophy: “Ingredients aren’t defined as savory or sweet. It’s what you pair with them that makes the difference. It’s all about the marriage of flavor and not predefining them into a specific flavor category.”

Trend She's Trying: Wong creates food as art on the plate, that changes as each person experiences (or tastes) the piece. “Creativity means taking things you don’t know and making them into new things.”

Current Obsession: Wong used Symrise flavorings of blueberry, strawberry and tutti-frutti in the food art on showcase at this year's annual International Chefs Congress (ICC).

Philosophy: Using textures. “Technique should always be used in service of taste.”

Ingredients Inspired By: Extra virgin olive oil and tomato

Trend He's Trying: Garcia made the vegetable as center of the plate as he plated a lobster salad, olive oil popcorn and nitro gazpacho tomato. The dish features lots of flavors “but the lobster is secondary to the olive oil popcorn and tomato.”

Current Obsession: "Camarones" (baby shrimp) for their strong flavor and barnacles because you get a “crazy flavor of the sea.”

Philosophy: “In pastry, it’s always about improving tips and technique to make it better. It’s also about the texture.”

Trend He's Trying: Payard likes to mix savory and sweet. While preparing the puffed rice, milk chocolate, and crispy chocolate phyllo to the stylish chocolate rice crispy treat he demonstrated at ICC, he added salt to caramel. “You’re seeing more and more salt in pastry,” he says. "Adding salt to caramel enhances the flavor."

Trend He Sees: A return to simplicity. “More and more we are trying to come back to the basics because it’s all about the flavor. It’s better to be simple and taste good, rather than be all flash and not taste good.”

Current Obsession: Caramel. “Caramel is a real flavor. It’s a lot like chocolate or coffee. If it’s not cooked, it just tastes like water and sugar. When it’s cooked perfectly, it becomes the flavor.”